Monday, June 22, 2015

Mon, Jun 22, 2015 Hello...eh!

Hello everyone!!
Nicole and Venessa two cute young women!
 I have some exciting news. We got transfer calls this week, and I am being transferred to the promised land, or at least that's what everyone calls it! That's right! I am being transferred to Sidney on Vancouver Island. And that's just the beginning....I will now be an English speaking missionary...at least for this transfer. Haha, just when I started getting comfortable with the language, the Lord throws a curve ball. Haha, well watch me hit a home run with it! But, really, I'm so excited for this new adventure! I'm ready to work harder than I ever have before. I know that there are so many miracles just waiting to happen in Sidney! Haha the Lord doesn't ever want me to get in my comfort zone while on the mission because "there is no growth in the comfort zone and there is no comfort in the growth zone." My new companion is Sister Wright! I don't know much about her, but I am so excited for this adventure. Hermana Johnson served there, so she has been telling me all about it. She says it is so beautiful and the ward there is amazing! I'm so sad to say goodbye to Spanish and all of the Latinos, but I know I'll come back to Spanish work one day! 


Cute little emily..she always gives me the biggest hug
This week, I have really tried to work on my faith. I have gained a testimony that faith is a choice. You can either choose to have faith or choose to be faithless or hopeless. But you can't have both at the same time! I've learned that when you have faith you are "able to do miracles according to the Lord's will." I love that. Hermana Johnson and I noticed, at the beginning of the week that we had lost faith. We weren't looking for the good and as a result to that, we became too negative to see any miracles. I know that faith produces miracles. Not just the grand, glorious, perfect miracles, but the simple, sweet miracles that one experiences every day. I promise that miracles are out there, and when we have faith, we have the eyes to see those miracles. Once Hermana Johnson and I figured that out, we were able to become the missionaries the Lord wants us to be. I pray that each of you will have the faith to see the beautiful miracles that each day has to offer us. Here is a quote by President Uchtdorf, 

"Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and  cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and  joy if only we will see and appreciate it." 



Pday...making shirts. 



Hermana Saenz making our shirts yeah! Yeah!
Okay, so the first miracle I want to talk about is Rita and Lenin. I mentioned last week that they haven't been progressing very much! So we got our favorite member to take with us and figured out exactly what they needed to hear in order to commit to progress. Every single concern that we brought up to our member, she covered in the lesson. She is very bold, but she does it out of love...so it was all good. We taught the lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was definitely directed by the Spirit. By the end, Rita and Lenin were asking about how the schedule for the baptism would go. And then THEY set a date for July 4th! I'm so excited for them, and I pray that they continue to progress. Pray for them that they will be able to make it to that date! It's sad that I will be gone for their baptism, but it's so good to know that I was a part of their journey. So special.

A sweet moment we had this week was when we were able to visit Alejandra. She is less active because of her health. She knows the scriptures inside and out and loves when we drop by for a visit. Last time, she mentioned how much she loves the hymns. So we brought a hymn book this time and she basically died of happiness. Haha, she was so sweet singing with us! 

Alejandra...she is the sweetest lady. she is less active because of her health. We visited her and sang hymns and shared a message. She LOVED it. 



And then the door right after we met him...was a miracle. This little lady opened the door a crack and asked what we wanted. We explained that we were missionaries. Immediately she invited us in, and wanted to talk to us. We couldn't really tell where she was from...China...or the Philippines? No idea. But then in the middle of a story she was telling, she mentioned how she lived in Latin America! WHAT? We were in the living room of a Latino lady's home! I should have guessed when she pronounced my name "Sister Hot". It was such a miracle how the Lord knew she needed us, and we needed to find her. I have such a strong testimony of just asking what the Lord wants us to do. Why do we wait so long before we ask Him? I wish we remembered more that He knows everything, and if we ask, He will always tell us what we should do. 

Oh..other awesome, quick story. While we were planning one night before bed, we decided we would go to Newton bus exchange the next morning. By that in my plans, I wrote, "find 2 latinos". Well the next day, we met a lady from Mexico there and then saw one of our old investigators. I had forgotten that I even wrote that in my planner, so when I looked at that, I just died. The Lord truly does answer our prayers. He makes it all work. Faith truly is the key to seeing miracles. 


Well, I'll give a few more updates. We haven't seen Esperanza all week...so that's a bummer. But she'll come around. And Rosa and Raul came to El Dia de Padres celebration and all of the members welcomed them and loved them! So good! I can't wait for these people to accept all that the Lord has given to us! 
I'm so grateful for all of you and for all of the prayers! I want you to know that your prayers really do work. I have felt so much love and support while being out here! I pray that all of you will continue to pray, continue to study the scriptures, and continue to have the faith to see miracles! 

Love,

Hermana Hoth...I mean...Sister Hoth...Haha, I'm confused!;)

Papoosas....I don't know how to spell it. but we love them! Thank you Melida Hernandez.

Rita...the time before we said goodbye
Hermana Moro! My Mexicana Mom
The Rangel family. He is the ward mission leader. 
Hermana Adams she is a crazy cute little lady who talks too much :)



OH CANADA!